Originally from Pearl River, New York, COL Joseph A. Ryan graduated from the United States Military Academy and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in 1991. COL Ryan began his service with the 3rd Battalion,505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in 1992, serving as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Mortar Platoon Leader, and as the Battalion S3 Air. He was the Battalion S1 and C Company Commander while assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, in Baumholder, Germany between 1996 and 1998. In Savannah, Georgia at Hunter Army Airfield, COL Ryan served in the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment between 1998 and 2002 and again from 2003 to 2006 as the Battalion’s Training Officer, Assistant S3, A Company Commander, Liaison Officer and Operations Officer. Following three years’ service as the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Assistant Operations Officer, Operations Officer and Deputy Commander at Fort Benning, Georgia, the Ryans moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where COL Ryan commanded the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) between February 2009 and July 2011. Back at Fort Benning, COL Ryan commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Special Troops Battalion from July 2011 until July 2013.

Over the last 23 years, COL Ryan deployed worldwide for training and has several combat deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq.

COL Ryan is a graduate of the Infantry Officer’s Basic and Advanced Courses, the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Army War College where he most recently served as a Fellow at Columbia University in New York City. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Management from Webster University.

Brigade Command Sergeant Major

CSM Mitchell Rucker

Command Sergeant Major Mitchell Rucker was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and entered into the Army in June 1992. After completing basic training, advanced individual training and airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as an infantryman and airborne rifle team leader. In April 1996, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Airborne Battalion Combat Team (SETAF), in Vicenza, Italy, where he served as an airborne rifle team leader, squad leader and weapons squad leader. In June 1999, he was assigned to 6th Ranger Training Battalion, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where he served as a ranger instructor for 44 classes.

In June 2003, he was reassigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Airborne, 173rd Airborne Brigade and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom I and Operation Enduring Freedom VI where he served as a platoon sergeant and as the battalion operations sergeant major. Upon redeployment from Afghanistan, he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Airborne to stand up a heavy weapons company (Destined Company), and serve as the first sergeant in preparation of and deployment for Operation Enduring Freedom VIII. In May 2008, CSM Rucker was assigned as the first sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company. He redeployed the company from Afghanistan and remained the HHC first sergeant until April 2009. The following month, CSM Rucker was assigned to HHC BDE, 173rd ABCT, to stand up the brigade's rear detachment and to serve as the detachment's sergeant major during Operation Enduring Freedom X. After the brigade's redeployment from Afghanistan, CSM Rucker served as the brigade's operations sergeant major. CSM Rucker served as the command sergeant major for 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry (Airborne), under the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson from March 2013 until September 2014.

CSM Rucker's most recently served as the command sergeant major for the Multinational Battle Group East (Kosovo) for KFOR19 rotation from September 2014 through April 2015.